Hold open devices for single acting swinging doors



March 3, 1959 H. FROHLICH 2,875,468

HOLD OPEN DEVICES FOR SINGLE ACTING swmsmc DOORS Filed Sept. 24, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR March 3, 1959 HOLD OPEN DEVICES FOR SINGLEACTING SWINGING DOORS Filed Sept. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 'JATTORNEY H'. FROHLICH 2,875,468 I United States Patent HOLD, OPENDEVICES FOR SINGLE ACTING SWINGING DOORS Hans Frohlich, New York, N. Y.,assignor to Bommer Spring Hinge Co., Inc., Landrum, S. 'C., acorporation of New York Applicationseptember 24, 1956, Serial No.611,454

2 Claims. (CI. 16-55) This invention relates to a hold open device forswinging doors, and more particularly to a device of this charactercombined with checking floor hinges for single acting swinging doors. a

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which,when in operative position, maintains the swinging door open at about aright angle.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the abovecharacter which embodies simple means for inactivating the hold opendevice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hold open device forsingle acting swinging doors which includes means for controlling theforces required for closing the swinging door by varying the retainingforce of the novel device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hold open devicewhich is fully received in the housing of the floor hinge.

The invention resides essentially in the provision of a yieldablymounted roller which travels in an arc with the swinging door when thelatter is opened or closed, and an adjustable retaining element orkeeper suitably formed to engage the roller when the door is open atabout right angle, and to thereby prevent the door from returning intoits closed position. As the roller is yieldably mounted and urgedagainst the keeper by a resilient element, a certain pressure exerted onthe open swinging door causes the resilient element to yield and enablesthe roller to ride over the keeper, whereupon the swinging door isclosed by the action of the floor hinge.

Various other features and attributes of the novel device will becomeapparent in the course of the following description of a preferredembodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and theinvention will be finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the checking floor type hinge whichis partly broken away to reveal the hold open device in operativedoor-retaining position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is anothersection taken on line 4--4 in Fig. 1. Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2,the housing of the door check rotatably supports the main spindle 11 towhich is attached one end of the arm 12. The latter is also fastened tothe swinging door (not shown) and rotates the spindle 11 when the dooris being opened. The door closingmechanism (not shown) in the housing 10normally urges the arm 12 into its dot-dash position 12' (see Fig. 2) tomaintain the door closed. The spindle 11 is in the form of a doublecrank whose upper shaft 13 extends from the housing 10 to receive thearm 12, and whose lower shaft 14 is received in a suitable bearing inthe screw plate 10a threaded into the bottom of casing 10. Theconnecting rod 15 of the closing mechanism in the housing 10 impartsrotational movement to part of my invention.

2,875,468 Patented Mar. 3, 1959 theorem]: and permanently urges the arm12 to return from its position shown in full lines into the position 12(see Fig. 2) when the door is closed. Such structure is known in theart, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 1,064,255, granted June 10, 1913;and does not form The novel hold open device includes a plate 16 whichis rigidly attached to the crank pin of spindle 11 by means of anintegral connecting member 17, an L-shaped member18 pivotally attachedto the plate 16 by means of a pivot pin 19, a retaining roller 20mounted on a shaft 21 between two flanges 22a, 22b (see Fig. 23)integral with the .leg 18a of the L-shaped member18, a short stem 24anchored in the projecting spring support 23 integral with the plate 16,and a coil spring 25 which axially surrounds the stem 24 and bearsagainst the leg 18a of the L-shaped member 18 to normally urge theroller 20 togetherwith the leg 18a in thedirection of arrow 26. Theextent of such pivotalfmovement of the roller 20 is controlled by theother leg 18b of element 18 which abuts against the projection 23. Athumb screw 27 or the like in the free end of leg 18b permitsadjustments of the extent of pivotal movement of leg 18a and of theroller 20 in the, direction of arrow 26.] A keeper 28mounted on a shaft29 rotatably supported in the top wall casing 10 has a projecting lip 30which is in the path of the roller 20 when the swinging door is in theprocess of being opened. As shown in Fig. 1, which illustrates the holdopen device in its operative door-retaining position, the roller 20bears against the inner vertical surface 30a of the lip 30 which latterthus prevents the roller, together with the spindle 11 and arm 12, fromreturning into ,the original position when the door is closed. Whensutficient pressure is exerted against the open swinging door in thedirection of arrow 31 (see Fig. 2), the spring 25 yields and permitsroller 20 to pivot with the member 18 to the extent that the roller canride over the lip 30, whereupon the door is free to return to its closedposition by the action of the hinge mechanism.

If it is desired to render the hold open device inactive, the lever 32attached to the shaft 29 of the keeper 28 is moved into its dot-dashposition 32' (see Fig. 2) which brings the lip 30 into the position 30'(see Fig. 3). The assembly on base plate 16 together with. the spindle11 is then free to rotate without impediment and the mechanism of thehinge immediately closes the swinging door.

The hold open device may also be inactivated by rotating the screw 27,whereby the leg 18a with roller 20 pivots around the pin 19 in adirection opposed to that of arrow 26 to compress the spring 25 and tomove the roller away from the lip 30 of the keeper.

It may be observed in Fig. 4 that the lip 30 has a cam surface 30b whichfacilitates the passage of roller 20 thereover when the door moves tlromits closed toward its open position. By slightly varying the position ofmember 18 by means of screw 27, the force required for closing the dooragainst the resistance of spring 25 may be controlled.

If the swinging door is pivoted somewhat beyond and then suddenlyreleased, the inertia of the moving door together with the closing forceof the hinge mechanism in the housing 10 causes the leg 18a to compressthe spring 25 and to enable roller 20 to ride over the lip 30 of thekeeper.

The entire hold open device, with the exception of lever 32, isinstalled in the housing 10. When the position of element 18 is properlyadjusted by means of screw 27, the holdopen device requires no furtherattention.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a checking floor hinge for single acting swingingdoors having a housing, a spindle projecting from said housing, and anarm attached to said spindle exteriorly of saidhousing, said armbeingadaptedto be connected with a swinging door; a hold open deviceincluding a base plate rigidly attached to said spindle and locatedwithin said housing, an L -shaped member, a-pivot pin substantially atrigh-tangles to the axis of rotation of said spindle for supporting saidL-shaped member on said plate, said L-shaped member having a first legand-a second leg both extending from said pivot pin, a roller attachedto said first leg, a spring support on said base plate, said second leghaving a free extremity adjacent said spring support, a resilientelement between said spring support and said first leg for urging saidroller in a direction causing said second leg to bear against saidspring support,.a shaft rotatably supported in said housing, a retainingelement rotatable with said shaft within said housing and having a lipextending into the path of;

said, roller when saidroller pivots, with said swingingdoor toward theopen position of the latter for engaging and retaining said rollerwherisaid door is open, and'lever meansattached to said shaft exteriorly ofsaid housing for rotating said retainingelement into a position whereinsaid lip is awayfrom the path ofsaid roller.-

2. In combination withsa checking floor hinge for single acting swingingdoors having a housing ,*aspi ndleprojecting from said housing, and anarm attached to said spindle exteriorly of said housing, said arm beingadapted to be connected with a swinging door; a hold spindle and locatedwithin said housing, an L-shaped" member, a pivot pin substantially atright angles to the axis of rotation of said spindle for supporting saidL- shaped member on said plate, said L-shaped member having a first legand a second leg both extending from said pivot pin, a roller attachedto said first leg, a spring support on said base plate, said second leghaving a free extremity adjacent said-spring support, an adjustingmember in said free extremity of said second leg for controlling thedistance between said free extremity and said spring support, aresilient element between said spring support and said first leg forurging said roller in a direction causing -said second leg to movetoward and said adjusting member to bear against said spring support,and a retaining element supported by said hinge and having a lipextending into the path of said roller when said roller pivots withsaidswinging door toward thelopen position ofthe latterfor engaging and,retaining said roller 4 when said 'door isopen;

1,515,704 1,821,570 Norton Sept. 1; 1931 2,703,906 Wenzel- Mar. 15,1955:

Mu tan-m

